October 2006: Yoda, with his "daddy" Mohan Krishnan, visits the vineyards of Chablis.
We have written before about the noble Yoda ("A Dog''s Life in Burgundy"), back in October of 2006, because, let's face it, it's not every day that you see a Shih-Tsu in the vineyards of Romanée-Conti. Now Yoda has been further immortalized in a book by his "parents," Mina and Mohan Krishnan.
"So how did this book come to be? We had gone, with Yoda of course, on a wine tour to the Burgundy region. Our guide Ronald was also one of Seattle's avid food bloggers. He took pictures of Yoda poised on a vineyard boundary wall and posted them on the blog, with the line "A Dog's Life in Burgundy." Links to the blog went to all our friends..."
Well, one of those friends would insist that the Krishnans write a book about Yoda.
But first, let's backtrack. Mina is a talented photographer, Mohan a serial entrepreneur; together they have created a small empire of intercultural education, Lotus Learning, to teach tens of thousands of Indians to speak better English. They were commuting between New York and Mumbai, a month here, a month there. But the comforts of home include the warmth of family pets, right? So Yoda was picked as much as anything because he would fit into a Louis Vuitton bag that Mohan could carry onto the Concorde. And for nearly 20 years he accompanied them everywhere. After the trip to Burgundy and the blog post on Cornichon, Mohan sent word that he was writing a book about Yoda's adventures, and now, some six years later, here it is: Three Black Spots.
Mina told the story, Mohna wrote it down, and their friend Neha Kamath did the charming illustrations. Yoda travels everywhere, hotels and restaurants included, a perfectly groomed eight-pound canine with his hair elegantly pulled up in a top-knot and bow, pampered and catered to wherever he goes, although Mina's daughter, Ayesha, puts her foot down when it comes to Yoda as the ring-bearer for her wedding. He has the temperament of a placid house cat; after he a trip to the vet to get fixed, he goes by the nickname "Old Neuteronomy."
It's clear that Yoda is in charge. He knows everything, reads the Krishnans' moods, expresses himself, understands the word "chicken" in French, English, Spanish and Hindi. He becomes a vela, a person who does nothing but does it very well.
Mohan and Mina understand how fortunate they were to have the company of Yoda's spirit. Eventually, the little dog loses his exquisite sense of hearing and falls into the complications of old age. At 16 years, 8 months and 9 days, his earthly life comes to its natural end. "His purpose in life was to put a smile on people's faces, and he did this day in and day out," Mohan writes. "We will miss him terribly and we will celebrate the fabulous life we had with him."
The Krishnans have a new dog these days, another Shih-Tsu named Obi-Wan. And as for Yoda himself, I will remember him fondly, sitting patiently on the wall at Montrachet, more than a dog, more than a traveling companion, but a soul for the ages.
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